Parent: JesusWordsOnly
The Patristic Era Church Also Rejected Paul s Predestination Doctrine
Further proof of the low regard for Paul can be seen in the early church's view of predestination. The early church from 125 A.D. to 325 A.D. universally rejected Paul's teachings on predestination. Paul was not named, but they universally regarded his teaching as blasphemy and impiety of the worst sort. Justin Martyr died in 165 A.D. by preferring execution than to renounce his faith in Christ. He explained:
We have learned it from the prophets, and we hold it to be true,
that punishments, chastisements, and rewards are rendered
according to each man's actions. Otherwise, if all things happen
by fate, then nothing is in our own power. For if it is
predestined that one man be good and another man evil, then the
first is not deserving of praise or the other to be blamed. Unless
humans have the power of avoiding evil and choosing good by free
choice, they are not accountable for their actions-whatever they
may be.... (Justin, First Apology, ch. 43.)
Clement, Archelaus, and Methodius all spoke against predestination, and in favor of free-will.
23.Bercot, Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up, supra, guilty of impiety toward God himself, making Him out to be the cause and author of human evils. (Methodius, The Banquet of the Ten Virgins, Discourse 8, ch. 6.)
Methodius was not exaggerating the meaning behind Paul's writings on predestination. Calvin in explaining Paul's writings says Paul means that God predestines all evil-God actually directs all evil thoughts with its evil outcome. God does not merely allow evil to happen by God's pennissive will. Calvin insists Paul means God makes all evil happen.
It was not until Luther that predestination resurfaced as a doctrine again. Luther went even farther than Augustine in drawing out Paul's meaning. Luther insisted Paul meant God damns the lost to hell without any freewill opportunity to accept Jesus. He said that Paul's doctrine takes great faith because God "saves so few and
God's Will For Lost?
"Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? sayeth the Lord Yahweh. And not rather that he should return from his way and live?... For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dies, says the Lord Yahweh. Wherefore turn yourselves and live."
Ezek. 18:23, 32.
24.Appendix B: How the Canon Was Formed
damns so many" yet we must believe God is "just" despite His own will "makes [the lost] necessarily damnable." (Martin Luther, Bondage of the Will.) Even though this makes God abominable, Luther skates the issue by saying "it is not lawful" to ask why God does not "change this fault of will in every man." Thus, Luther thought you proved you had great faith when you could believe Paul is correct that God is still just despite doing something so apparently unjust as damning people while depriving them of the ability of accept Him.
Neither Luther nor Calvin stopped and asked whether Paul could be inspired when Paul ascribes such incongruous impious behavior to God.
Geisler on Calvinist Predestination: "It is theologically inconsistent, philosophically insufficient, and morally repugnant." (Norman Geisler)
25.Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion Book 1, ch. XVIII. For example, Calvin writes that God "directs [Satan and his angels'] malice to whatever end he pleases, and employs their iniquities to execute his judgments." ( Institutes , Ch. XVIII, Book 1, No. 1) Calvin says some dishonestly seek to evade this truth by claiming a distinction between God permitting evil and doing evil. But God "himself, however, openly declare[s] that he does this, [and hence God] repudiates the evasion." Id. Calvin means that God's word insists He does the evil. He does not merely permit it. Another example is Calvin says: "That men do nothing save at the secret instigation of God, and do not discuss and deliberate on anything but what he has previously decreed with himself, and brings to pass by his secret direction , is proved by numberless clear passages of Scripture." Id. Later Calvin, twisting Scripture, insists: "The fiction ofbare permission [of evil] is at an end," meaning it is false that God merely permits evil rather than directs it. Id.
The Patristic Era Also Blasted Paul's Doctrine on Eating Idol Meat
More important, the postapostolic rejection of predestination from 125-325 A.D. proves that the universal church was still following Jesus' words alone. Without naming Paul specifically, they rejected every word of Paul at odds with Jesus. In particular they rejected the notion that the lost were damned due to God's predetermined will. Rather, God is not willing that any should perish. (John 3:16); cf. (2Pet. 3:9).
Calvin's writings indirectly corroborate Bercot's conclusion. Calvin could not find anyone other than Augustine from the late 300s who agreed with Paul's doctrines. And Augustine's agreement was limited only to Paul's predestination doctrine.